THERE WERE serious concerns last night for an Irishman thought to be in an office building that collapsed during Tuesday’s earthquake in Christchurch, New Zealand.
The Department of Foreign Affairs said last night there was one case of “serious concern” of an Irish citizen.
The family of the missing man, a 40-year-old accountant from Abbeydorney, Co Kerry, yesterday confirmed he was working in the Pyne Gould Guinness (PGG) building which collapsed on Tuesday.
Rescuers yesterday continued to their efforts to find survivors at the four-storey office building in the centre of Christchurch.
The Department of Foreign Affairs last night said there were “conflicting reports” that the man “may be among a group at the PGG site ”.
“Irish diplomatic personnel on the ground are in contact with the emergency services to establish the exact situation,” the statement said.
There was shock in the Co Kerry village, which is just north west of Tralee, last night as news of the man’s plight filtered through. He was named locally as J.J O’Connor and is from a family of five. His mother lives locally.
He had moved to New Zealand from London with his wife and their two-year-old son last September and had started work as an accountant in the PGG building before Christmas. His wife is expecting their second child.
David Cooney, secretary general of the Department of Foreign Affairs, said they had not received any information about the missing man since the quake hit.
“We do not know if there has been direct contact with the Irishman trapped there,” Mr Cooney said. “As we understand it, there is no hard evidence he is alive but until there is evidence to the contrary we will not give up hope.” The man has not been named by the department.
Earlier reports suggesting that an Irishman had been in contact with rescuers from the rubble of the building were discredited by New Zealand Police.
Two other Irish people about whom the department were very concerned have contacted their families.
One woman was going to collect her children from school when the quake struck but had made contact after 36 hours, Peadar Carpenter, the Department of Foreign Affairs consular crisis centre co-ordinator said.
Another Irishman was of concern because he had travelled to Christchurch on his own, but he has also contacted his family.
The department has received reports of 300 Irish people missing after the quake struck.
This has been whittled down to 17 reported missing Irish people who have not been contacted. There were no concerns about these people, Mr Carpenter said.
They were reported missing by people not in close contact with them such as distant relatives or friends who may have lost contact with them a long time ago, he said.
One Irishman, Eoin McKenna from Co Monaghan, in his 40s, has been confirmed dead in the quake. Elsewhere, consular assistance is being given to an Irishwoman who was married to a British passport-holder who died in the quake.